Help The Kinsey Sicks Conquer the World's Largest Arts Fest!

$38,779

510

backers

Now that our Kickstarter campaign is officially over, we can’t update this page. We are SO grateful to all who have backed us - thanks to you, our presence will be felt at the Fringe!

And it’s not too late to donate! We are committed to releasing our 9th CD, "Eight Is Enough" (see our third stretch goal below), and to raising enough money to get it into your grubby little hands! Click HERE!!!

To keep up with The Kinsey Sicks, check out www.kinseysicks.com, and like us on Facebook. If you are truly tasteless and want to book us, write to us at info@kinseysicks.com.

Again, thank you, from the bottom of our depraved little hearts.

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WHAT, YOU ONLY HAVE TIME TO READ THREE SENTENCES?
Do you want a gutsy, boundary-breaking, wildly original, unapologetically out and progressive drag a cappella quartet to have a shot at breaking into the international arts market and shaking things up around the world? Do you like run-on sentences? If so, please help send The Kinsey Sicks to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world's largest arts festival and often showcases experimental works that might not be invited to a more conservative arts festival. Producers from around the world go to the month-long festival every August looking for unusual and interesting acts (not that we know of any) that deserve a shot back in their home markets.

The Fringe lasts for almost a month, and the key currency there is good old-fashioned word of mouth. And that’s why The Fringe presents such a great opportunity for groups like us who are too controversial and unconventional for TV. Lots of offbeat artists who are now well-known became break-out hits at The Fringe. People who know the festival have been telling us for years that we’d be perfect for it, and that it’s a great chance for us to break into the international market. We’ve always said no because we didn’t have tens of thousands of dollars lying around. And that’s where you, dear, sweet, (and remarkably attractive) friend come in…

For less than half the cost of one measly luxury car, you can send us to Edinburgh.

We’ve managed to hoodwink one of the Fringe’s top venues into giving us a highly coveted slot, and we’ve plunked down a non-refundable deposit before they can come to their senses. In order to fully fund our participation in the festival, we need to raise $45,000 —$18,000 for venue, equipment and tech alone; $15,000 for travel and housing (not surprisingly, housing is outrageously expensive during the Fringe); $7500 for promo, printed materials, etc — and more. We’re sinking the group's savings into this, but we need your help to make this possible.

We don’t do this to become famous (although we wouldn’t object). We don’t do this to get rich. We do this because, in addition to being in love with our work, we have the chutzpah to think what The Kinsey Sicks do actually matters.

So, if you think the world is a little better with a loud-mouth, unapologetic group that’s not afraid to be thought-provoking and crude and moving and controversial, that’s politically progressive and out of the closet and original, please consider inflicting us upon Edinburgh!

Known as “America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet” - a status easy to maintain given the lack of competition - we’ve been performing and writing musicals continuously for 21 years. We’ve had critically-acclaimed runs Off Broadway and in Las Vegas, performed in almost every US state, recorded eight albums, and have been the subject of two feature films. We’ve had rave reviews in (surprisingly) respectable publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Billboard, Variety, and many more (see below for press quotes).

But we’re much more than an a cappella/drag/comedy troupe. We’re the longest running out queer performance troupe in existence. We are political; we are fearless; we are authentic; we are thoughtful; we are silly; we are shocking; and yet somehow, we hope, we are lovable, and we appeal to a delightfully diverse fan base of music aficionados, comedy fans, intellectuals, juvenile delinquents (of all ages), a cappella admirers, queers, Jews, lefties, bears, drag devotees, patrons of the arts with a hankering for the unconventional, and other assorted oddballs and outsiders. We are not and never will be safe, pre-packaged, or homogenized. We will, however, occasionally sing gorgeously and be hilarious.

What, you're not sick of us already? If you insist on subjecting yourself to more information about us, check out our website, YouTube, Facebook, email us at info@kinseysicks.com, or write to us right here and we'll get back to you! For more on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, click here!

STRETCH GOAL #1 : HIRING A PUBLICIST ($4,300 More)

It’s one thing to go to the Fringe with an allegedly great show — it’s another challenge to get people to hear about it. One of the top publicists associated with the Festival has (despite being very selective and taking on only a handful of clients) agreed to ruin his fine reputation by representing us. Small detail: we have to, uh, pay him and cover his expenses. This would dramatically increase our visibility and likelihood of success.

STRETCH GOAL #2: ADS, POSTERS, PRINT MATERIALS, ETC ($3,200 More)

We will be on the street every day singing in costume to promote our shows. If this doesn't scare people off, we believe a few well-placed ads, posters, etc will reinforce people’s memories of our depravity. If we reach this stretch goal, people who are lucky enough not to see us on the street (there are only so many people we can personally traumatize in a day) will still not escape our evil clutches. We hope a few well-placed paid promo pieces with great review quotes will sucker people into thinking our show is actually worth seeing.

STRETCH GOAL #3: RECORDING OUR NEXT ALBUM RIGHT AFTER THE FESTIVAL ($11,500 More!)

We’re very excited about the possibility of recording our 9th album (to be titled “Eight is Enough”) and think it willl be our best! True, this isn't saying much, but the album will include songs we sing at The Fringe as well as brand new dragapella delights that we’ve just written and arranged . And with our new, more international fan base, we hope this album will have a greater international impact than our previous ones, thereby strengthening our diabolical plan to worm our way into the consciousness of the world.

If we meet this stretch goal, as a special thank you, backers who contribute/have contributed $75 or more will get a free autographed, advance copy of this CD! Backers at the $25 or $50 level whose current reward includes a CD will be able to select this album as their choice! (Estimated Delivery: 2016)

Risks and challenges

Bottom line: we're confident we can make an international impact at the Fringe Festival. But we can't get to the Fringe Festival without you. Fully-funding our participation in the festival will actually require us to raise $45,000! We're prepared to drain our meager savings to do this, but we can use all the help we can get.

We know you get a lot of appeals for funding and we truly appreciate your consideration. Thank you.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

GREAT SCOTS! Reward: A wealth of dubious choices! A sophistipated portrait with a Scottish terrier in crayon & scotch tape drawn by our very own Trampolina while drinking scotch. This masterpiece will be scotchguarded to preserve its alleged value. OR a handwritten love letter just to you from Trixie. OR a hilarious mad lib composed by you & Winnie. OR first rights to personalized dubious advice from our dear Rachel Kinsey Shuggena in an advice blog (“Dear Ms. Shuggena”) that she will launch this spring. Plus all the multitudinous thanks available to donors of $25+!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $140 or more
About $140

FRINGE BENEFITS: Access to an exclusive daily Kinsey blog from Fringe Festival + a signed copy of the script + your choice of one personalized artwork/written masterpiece from the $75 "Great Scots!" Reward. PLUS a personalized, handwritten Kinsey Thank You from Scotland + all the multitudinous thanks available to donors of $25+!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

THE INTERACTIVE PACKAGE: ALL FOUR ARTWORKS/WRITTEN MASTERPIECES in the $75 “Great Scots!” Reward: a portrait in crayon & scotch tape of you & a scottish terrier drawn by our very own Trampolina while drinking scotch (scotchguarded to preserve its alleged value) + a handwritten love letter written just to you from Trixie + a hilarious mad lib composed by you & Winnie + first rights to personalized dubious advice from our dear Rachel Kinsey Shuggena in an advice blog (“Ask Ms. Shuggena”) that she will launch this spring. PLUS access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script & all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward. PLUS!!!! A piece of butterscotch candy!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $666 or more
About $666

CREDIT AS A FALLEN ANGEL ON OUR UPCOMING 9TH CD (tentatively entitled “Eight is Enough”) and a signed copy of the CD before it is available! PLUS your choice of one personalized artwork/written masterpiece from the $75 Great Scots package + your choice of access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script + all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

SPONSOR CREDIT! You get named from the stage as a sponsor of a performance in Edinburgh; we film the audience booing in response & send you a copy! PLUS credit as a Fallen Angel on all written materials we hand out in Edinburgh AND on our upcoming 9th CD + your choice of one personalized artwork/written masterpiece from the $75 "Great Scots!" Reward + access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script & all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,500 or more
About $1,500

INDIGESTION: 2 tickets to a Kinsey Sicks show and DINNER WITH THE BOYS BEHIND THE GIRLS (we pay for the tickets and the food; you get yourself to the city where we’re performing) + your choice of one personalized artwork/written masterpiece from the $75 "Great Scots!" Reward + credit as a Fallen Angel on all written materials we hand out in Edinburgh + access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script + all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $2,500 or more
About $2,500

ENDURING SHAME: YOUR NAME INCLUDED IN A SONG TITLE ON OUR UPCOMING CD + credit as a fallen angel on the CD + a signed copy of the CD before it is available to the public + your choice of one personalized artwork/written masterpiece from the $75 "Great Scots!" Reward + credit as a Fallen Angel on all written materials we hand out in Edinburgh + access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script + all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

BLACKMAIL! The Kinsey Sicks will write & record A SPECIAL SONG FOR/ABOUT YOU (or a loved one) –we’ll contact you for background info; then leave the rest to us! PLUS credit as a Fallen Angel on all written materials we hand out in Edinburgh AND on our upcoming 9th CD + your choice of one personalized artwork/written masterpiece from the $75 "Great Scots!" Reward + access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script + all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $10,000
About $10,000

REWARD/PUNISHMENT: A LIVE PERFORMANCE just for you and your loved ones/victims! (Backers must also provide venue, travel and accommodations) + credit as a Fallen Angel on all written materials we hand out in Edinburgh AND on our upcoming 9th CD + all four personalized artworks/written masterpieces from the $75 "Great Scots!" Reward + access to the exclusive daily festival blog & signed script + all thanks in the $140 “Fringe Benefits” Reward!